Ayr v Melrose 19/10/24
Ayr v Melrose – 19/10/24
Round 8 of the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership, a visit to the seas-side, was played on a beautiful day with a blue sky and minimal wind. With eight minutes played, and following Ayr pressure, a penalty lineout rolling maul was completed by Tom Martin with an unconverted try. Ayr were penalised for a high tackle, at 17 minutes, and Keiran Clark put Melrose on the scoresheet by kicking a penalty. Three minutes later Robbie Orr made a half break with the ball being passed wide to Adam McGowan whose silky footwork drove him into the corner for an unconverted try, and within minutes Clark kicked his second penalty. Two minutes later Ayr passed the ball across the pitch and back again stretching the Melrose defence with a scissor movement between Bobbie Beattie and Orr letting the latter score with Chris Hyde converting. Play extended from end to end for the next quarter of an hour, but neither team was able to score.
Half time – Ayr 17 Melrose 6.
For the first ten minutes of the second half Ayr were dominant, but were thwarted by stout Melrose defence until, attacking down the left, the ball was passed right with Hyde committing the last two Melrose defenders before off-loading to Orr who strolled into the corner for the Ayr bonus point try which Hyde converted. Ten minutes later a period of Melrose pressure, with a series of Ayr infringements, was rewarded by Clark’s third penalty. At 65 minutes Jake Shearer increased the Ayr lead with a try converted by Hyde. Melrose resistance continued, but eventually ran out of steam when, from a penalty lineout rolling maul, James Malcolm was driven over for a try converted by Hyde. With two minutes until no-side James Shedden broke with his pass being picked up by Beattie, off his shoe laces, before being off-loaded to Blair Macpherson who scored, with Hyde’s conversion ended the match.
Ayr 45 Melrose 9
Ayr – Chris Hyde, Jamie Shedden, Robbie Orr, Andrew Stirrat, Adam McGowan, Bobbie Beattie, Fergus Johnston, Jamie Drummond, Tom Martin, Rhodri Tanner, Ed. Bloodworth, Rory Jackson, Lewis McNamara, Tim Brown, Blair Macpherson. Replacements – James Malcolm, Jake Shearer, Ruairidh Sayce, Seth Rae, Rohan Pottie, Ben Frame, Cameron van Wyk.
Melrose – Keiran Clark, Corey Goldsbrough, Declan Mulcahy, Roly Brett, Hamish Weir, Luke Townsend, Douglas Crawford, Will Owen, Logan Kirk, Jack Dobie, Angus Weir, Angus Runciman©, Will Ferrie, Finlay Sinclair, Ruairidh Lindsay. Replacements – Ben White, Jack Wilks, Craig Greer, Morgan Gabe, Craig Fairbairn, Struan Hutchison, Bruce Colvine.
Referee – Tom French.
